This letter has been a long time coming, and to God be the glory! Because you see the Lord has given me the directive to write to you, and He’s even telling me what to write. I mean this letter is all about “Him”. It’s what the Holy Bible refers to as “thus saith the Lord”, and He’s saying it to Dave Hunt through the mouth of a prophet. Amen?

But anyway, let me first of all say how much we appreciate all that you’ve done for the Body of Christ. Without a doubt, you’ve given much of your life to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ through your books, videos, and live presentations. However, there is one very important facet of this gospel message that you’ve missed by a “country mile”. I mean, not only are you wrong, you’re DEAD WRONG! In other words, this is a very serious matter, Brother Dave…as in one that can make an everlasting difference in your everlasting life!

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.” (John 5:39-40 KJV)

Now to be perfectly honest with you, I do not expect that you’ll accept this Word from the Lord as being His Truth. The chances are extremely slim that Dave Hunt will receive what I’m about to speak, but at least I’ll be doing the Will of the Father (He told me to speak it). I mean, after all, there’s a very good reason so many Christians like you choose to believe in the “once saved always saved” doctrine…but it certainly isn’t because the Word of God says so:

“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world…Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” (Philippians 2:12-15; Matthew 7:21 KJV)

You see, Brother Dave, in this letter I’m going to present you with God’s Truth about how to become a “son of God” by doing the “Will of the Father”. And of course it’s the “doing His Will” part of this “adoption process” that actually makes it a “work of salvation”.

“For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.” (Matthew 12:50 KJV)

But anyway, every day we listen to you and Brother Tom on the Internet with your “Search the Scriptures Daily”. We’re able to consume thirty (30) minutes of your program while having lunch, and we’ve just finished up with what you presented back in 2005. In fact it was only a few days ago that the Lord instructed me to write you this letter after having listened to Is Jesus Mentioned in the Old Testament?, and this is the way Tom started off the program:

“Now, Dave, this might be a little controversial, and I know you like to steer of that, but I was going to throw it out there anyway… In verse 29 it says, “Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.” You know, a lot of people say that we’re anti-charismatic, anti-gifts, etc., I don’t know where they get that idea. Over years and years we take the position that A.W. Tozer takes that we don’t find anything in the Word of God that would say that the gifts are not for today.”

So, that was “in the beginning” of your program segment 4105d, and it didn’t take too awful long to figure out why Brother Tom threw out the warning of “this might be a little controversial”. I mean, after all, the following was your reply:

“Tom, how many people have said to me, ‘Let me tell you what God told me today about you,’ you know? Well, He didn’t tell me. That’s almost like when I get up in the morning I ought to have some neon sign up in the sky giving me my orders for the day. You’ve got the Bible. You better read that and study that. And the Lord will give you insights and understanding. I don’t know how He said this to Philip. Maybe it was just an impression that he had. He realized that he’s got to join himself to this chariot…But He doesn’t have to talk to me to tell me to make some decision…we live in a much more organized society today. So, it’s more likely that God is going to work the circumstances in our schedules or whatever.”

Now was that mocking or what? Talk about raging mad! You tore into that one like a bull seeing red: “He doesn’t have to talk to me…we live in a much more organized society”? Come on, Brother Dave! What do you have against “hearing the Voice of God”? I mean, why don’t you want to hear the Voice of the Father?

That’s the question, Brother Dave! And the first thing that comes to mind is that, maybe, just maybe He’s given you a Word that made you run in fear: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

Could it be Brother Dave that the Lord’s “spoken” a few things into your life that were just too “painful” for you to bear? Could that be the reason you get so upset when someone mentions “hearing from God”?

Well, the purpose of this letter is to give you the opportunity to understand “why” you need to be seeking to hear the “Voice of the Father” every waking moment of your life. And what better place to start than the Scripture Brother Tom used in his “controversial” program:

“And the angel of the Lord spake (G2036) unto Philip, saying (G2980), Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet. Then the Spirit said (G2036) unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?” (Acts 8:26-30 KJV)

In the preceding Text we find two words that God used to describe how “the angel of the Lord/Spirit” communicated with Philip, and both of them can mean the physical act of producing words by way of the mouth:

So why do you have such a hard time dealing with the fact that God speaks, Brother Dave? I mean after all, Jesus was the “Voice of God” in Heaven – “The Word” – before He became “Flesh and Blood” on earth. Jesus (The Word) is the Body of the Godhead that communicates the Will of the Father by means of His Mouth. Jesus speaks real Words, Brother Dave, and He speaks them with Great Power:

“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word (G4487) of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” (Hebrews 11:3 KJV)

In fact, seeing how you and Brother Tom “take the position that A.W. Tozer takes”, you must agree with the following quote:

“The Voice of God is the most powerful force in nature, indeed the only force in nature, for all energy is here only because the power-filled Word is being spoken. The Bible is the written word of God, and because it is written it is confined and limited by the necessities of ink and paper and leather. The Voice of God, however, is alive and free as the sovereign God is free. 'The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.' The life is in the speaking words. God's word in the Bible can have power only because it corresponds to God's word in the universe. It is the present Voice which makes the written Word all-powerful. Otherwise it would lie locked in slumber within the covers of a book…This universal Voice of God was by the ancient Hebrews often called Wisdom, and was said to be everywhere sounding and searching throughout the earth, seeking some response from the sons of men.” (The Pursuit of God - A.W. Tozer)

WOW! Was that a powerful word or what, Brother Dave? In fact let’s take that thought just a little further by analyzing the “Words” that Jesus “speaks”:

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words (G4487) that I speak (G2980) unto you, theyare spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63 KJV)

G4487 [hray'-mah] – from reo, to speak. A word spoken or uttered; a speech or sentence consisting of several words; a word, command; denoting the operative or all powerful word or command of God; a report, account. Rhema stands for the subject matter of the word, the thing which is spoken about. (The Complete Word Study New Testament With Greek Parallel)

Now I fully realize that you want to believe there is no difference between the “rhema” Word (G4487) and the “logos” Word (G3056), but it just ain’t so. Sorry! The “rhema” Word is God’s specific command to the individual, which, if obeyed, will transform a part of that Believer from flesh to spirit:

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:3, 6 KJV)

You see, Brother Dave, it’s God’s “spoken Word” – His commands – that sets the Believer free from “sin and death”! I mean just “search the Scriptures” Brother Dave and you’ll see:

“For I have not spoken (G2980) of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak (G2980). And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak (G2980) therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak (G2980).” (John 12:49-50 KJV)

Jesus “speaks” the commandments of the Father – they are Spirit, and they are life – and the Spirit of Truth (The Comforter) delivers the Words to the Believer. Not only does Jesus “speak”, but the Holy Spirit “speaks” as well:

“I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak (G2980) of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak (G2980): and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.” (John 16:12-14 KJV)

Isn’t this truly amazing, Brother Dave? God speaks! And what’s so frightening about your rejection of “God’s Voice” is that the same Words of instruction you’ve chosen to ignore – the “rhema” Words (God’s Will for your life) – will be the ones that condemn you on judgment day:

“I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. And if any man hear my words (G4487), and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words (G4487), hath one that judgeth him: the word (G3056) that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day…He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (John 12:46-48; Mark 16:16 KJV)

You see, Brother Dave, it’s through God’s “spoken Words” that we receive the commands that will crucify our flesh when obeyed. Our flesh will die, and His Spirit will be birthed in us, whenever we obey the Will of the Father through His “rhema Words” of instruction for our lives:

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2 KJV)

So, as the preceding Scripture points out, this “renewing of our minds” has everything to do with receiving God’s judgment in the “here and now” so that we don’t have to get it in the great hereafter. In fact we actually become the “sons of God” by “overcoming the flesh” as we “do the Will of the Father” that He’s “spoken” to us:

“He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:7-8 KJV)

You see, Brother Dave, that’s what “grace” is all about, and it’s also the reason “once saved always saved” is such a bust. I mean, let’s get real! At any point along our walk with Jesus we can choose to reject His “spoken Word” and become an “unbeliever”. After all, Brother Dave, crucifixion – the death of the flesh – is an extremely painful process to bear:

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words (G4487); which voice they that heard intreated that the word (G3056) should not be spoken to them any more: (For they could not endure that which was commanded…” (Hebrews 12:14-20 KJV)

Grace is such an amazing thing! Before Jesus paid the price for our sins on His Cross, God’s “spoken Word” could only condemn the Believer of their sinful state; it couldn’t change them:

“See that ye refuse not him that speaketh (G2980). For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:25-29 KJV)

God is still “speaking” Brother Dave! If you really want to become one of His adopted sons, and live with Him forever in His Kingdom, you had better start seeking to “hear His Voice” so that you can do the Will of the Father:

“And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” (Hebrews 12:5-8 KJV)

So, having said all that, let’s do a quick summary:

“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world…Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” (Philippians 2:12-15; Matthew 7:21 KJV)

Brother Dave, we love you enough to tell you the Truth! In fact if you care to learn more about becoming born of His Spirit we’ll be glad to share. I mean, after all, He did give us the very informative teaching series “How Do You Want Your Fire…Now Or Later?”

Tom: In this, our Understanding the Scriptures segment, we’re in the book of Acts. We’re in Acts, Chapter 8, and we left off last with verse 31. And, of course, this is Philip who is being led by the Holy Spirit and he is led to a man of Ethiopian who was in charge of the treasure of the Queen of the Ethiopians, and he’s reading from the book of Isaiah and not quite understanding it, is he Dave?

Dave: Yes, but he has a copy of it.

Tom: Right.

Dave: I don’t think he bought it in Jerusalem. He brought it with him. He’s reading it on the way home.

Tom: Now, Dave, this might be a little controversial, and I know you like to steer of that, but I was going to throw it out there anyway…

Dave: Absolutely.

Tom: In verse 29 it says, “Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.” You know, a lot of people say that we’re anti-charismatic, anti-gifts, etc., I don’t know where they get that idea. Over years and years we take the position that A.W. Tozer takes that we don’t find anything in the Word of God that would say that the gifts are not for today.

Dave: But, we want them to be the real thing.

Tom: Exactly. And that’s a large problem. That’s why I say this is going to be a bit controversial.

Dave: Tom, how many people have said to me, “Let me tell you what God told me today about you,” you know? Well, He didn’t tell me. That’s almost like when I get up in the morning I ought to have some neon sign up in the sky giving me my orders for the day. You’ve got the Bible. You better read that and study that. And the Lord will give you insights and understanding. I don’t know how He said this to Philip. Maybe it was just an impression that he had. He realized that he’s got to join himself to this chariot.

Tom: This whole thing was a miraculous event.

Dave: Yes it was.

Tom: He didn’t just get on his bike and tool off and run down the chariot.

Dave: Right. Right.

Tom: But, here’s my question. And, again, I want to do this cautiously because, as we’ve noted, there’s so many fakes, there’s so many flaky claims to be led of the Holy Spirit, etc. But nevertheless, Dave, couldn’t God do this today? Couldn’t God speak to your heart, couldn’t God speak audibly to somebody? But, it wouldn’t be an everyday event.

Dave: Of course. But, Tom, let me put it in these terms. Last week I mentioned my little experience on the plane. I’ve had this so many times, where the gentlemen across the aisle asked me to change places with him. Now, why would God have to say to me, “Dave, take the place of that man across the aisle, and get him to change seats with you!” He didn’t have to do that because the Lord had somehow arranged for that man’s wife to be sitting next to me, next to the window, and he wanted to come over and do it. So, you see, there’s one of the problems, Tom. Oh, it would be much more spectacular if I had had a voice from God telling me, “Talk this guy into changing seats with you.” Well, I could give a great testimony about that. Wow! God told me to do this. But, God didn’t have to tell me to do that. But, it is just as much guidance as if He had told me to do that. I have missed planes…never my fault I don’t think…maybe once or twice. Because I’m pretty careful about getting there on time when it comes to airplanes. Maybe some other things…now, Tom, don’t tell on me.

Tom: All I have to do is mention the flight that you thought was Friday, but was actually Thursday of last week, Dave. Now, come on here.

Dave: Well, now that is one of the very few exceptions.

Tom: Yes that’s the exception to the rule.

Dave: And, again, that was all in the Lord’s will. He allowed me to make that mistake because…

Tom: But He does that. He creates opportunities for us.

Dave: Right. Right.

Tom: It’s wonderful.

Dave: I remember being shuffled from one plane to another. They all kept having mechanical problems and I think the third one, finally, and I have a special number I call...get over to this gate quickly, you know. And I finally get over there and just as I step aboard, the first class flight attendant standing there, you know at the front, “Dave Hunt! You’re just the guy I wanted to talk to.” Well, I didn’t get a voice from God telling me to get over there. But, the Lord worked the circumstances out. So that was where it went. But, Tom, yes, God works in amazing ways and I see Him guide me life, and you know, you’ve heard me say many times… almost, not every time…but almost every time I get off of an airplane I just say, “God, you did it again. I don’t know how you do it!” But He doesn’t have to talk to me to tell me to make some decision. But, I remember one plane that landed in Chicago. When it hit the runway, the hydraulics went out. It had to be towed up to the gate so I…anyway, Tom, the man I sat next to on the next plane—that’s the one God wanted me to sit next to. But, He didn’t give me a voice from heaven. It could happen. He could have done that, but, Tom, we live in a much more organized society today. So, it’s more likely that God is going to work the circumstances in our schedules or whatever.

Tom: But, Dave, the bottom line is the content that you were there for. It was the Word of God.

Dave: Amen.

Tom: You were preaching and teaching the Word of God. God arranged a circumstance and situation to have you in a place where you spoke His Word, you preached the truth and people respond.

Dave: Amen .

Tom: That’s the bottom line. Many times we get letters from people that said they’re Spirit led, etc., and you’ll find out the content of what they’re promoting…it’s all subjective. It’s all stuff that they’ve either made up…and some cases it’s so contrary to the Word of God that you think God could not be involved in this.

Dave: Right.

Tom: So we need to test the Spirits, test all of these things, but not deny what God is able to do. That’s my point.

Dave: Right. And stick with the Bible.

Tom: Amen. Amen. Verse 30: “And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Isaiah, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. The place of the scripture which he read was this: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth. So, that’s Isaiah 53 [2].

Dave: So, Tom, it was miraculous how God put Philip right there. Miraculously said to Philip, “Join yourself to this chariot.” But, the man was ready. That’s why God had him there. The man invited Philip up. I’ll never forget an ex-Marine pilot…I shouldn’t have been in that seat …I shouldn’t have been on that plane, etc., but anyway, without going into those details, his first words when he sat down beside me were: “ I want to know God!” Well, that’s the way the Lord does it. He caused that man to sit there. And He will bring us in contact with people who want to know the truth. You don’t have to knock your head against the wall trying to persuade somebody….

Tom: Yes, but Dave, some people say, “Yeah, but I don’t know as much as Dave Hunt, man, you know, suppose somebody asks a question I don’t have the answer?” If God provides the opportunity, it seems to me, He’s going to have you there with what you have with what you know. He’s not going to create it out of a vacuum. But if somebody has something to give that will be a blessing to somebody else, God’s going to have you equipped and in that right place to do it no matter where you are…how mature you are in the Word, etc., I think.

Dave: That’s true, Tom. But the Lord is going to teach us through these experiences, too. So, I couldn’t say how many times I came home from an encounter and I fell on my face before the Lord and said, “God, I didn’t have the answer. Please help me. I want to have the answer the next time that question is asked.” So, we learn. We don’t know everything at once. And, we learn over a period of time.

Tom: But, we’re just not to be that reluctant or self-conscious, actually that’s I was getting at.

Dave: Absolutely. We’re trusting in the Lord. And the place of the scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth; in his humiliation his judgment was taken away.” Well, Tom, we’re not going to be able to finish this. But, he’s going to ask Philip, “Is he talking about himself or about some other man?” But, the man had that much sense to recognize…now the Jewish people today who say, “well, that was Israel he was talking about. Couldn’t have been the Messiah.” They wouldn’t dare to admit this was the Messiah because it goes on, it’s very clear…Tom, you could write out…I’ll just make this suggestion to people out there…type out Isaiah 53 [3] on a blank piece of paper. Don’t tell them where it came from—and ask some Jewish friend, or ask anybody almost—“This is in the Bible. Who do you think it’s talking about?” I guarantee you they’ll say, “Oh, that’s Jesus. Oh, that’s Jesus. Yes.” A Jewish man might say, “Why that must be some Protestant, some Christian from today, wrote that.” No, surprise, surprise. It was your ancient prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 53 [4]. And he was talking about the Messiah. Now, who do you think the Messiah might be?